Fatal Roads

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NE

State

Nebraska

Residents 2,005,465Deaths 2024 251Deaths 2015–2024 2,346Counties 93Routes with pages 17

FARS data are based on police crash reports and other sources; the drunk-driving measure is based on the highest BAC of any driver in the crash. Latest data year: 2024.

Nebraska recorded 251 deaths in 223 fatal crashes in 2024, the latest year in NHTSA's FARS, and 2,346 deaths over 2015–2024.

That is 12.1 deaths per 100,000 residents a year, close to the national rate of 11.8. The ten-year total was about level between 2005–2014 (2,251) and 2015–2024 (2,346).

Relative to the national shares, alcohol (a driver reported as drinking) stands out most: 32.6% of fatal crashes against 26.3% nationally. 68.5% of the state's fatal crashes were on rural roads and 41.4% happened after dark.

Among counties with at least 50 deaths in the ten years, the highest rates per 100,000 residents were in Cass County (23.4), Dawson County (21.3) and Lincoln County (17.7).

251deaths in 2024223 fatal crashes
12.1per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–2024US 11.8
+4%ten-year change in deaths2,251 → 2,346
33%crashes with a drinking driverUS 26%

Trend since 1975

0199397197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 369 deaths1976: 397 deaths1977: 345 deaths1978: 340 deaths1979: 330 deaths1980: 396 deaths1981: 378 deaths1982: 261 deaths1983: 255 deaths1984: 285 deaths1985: 237 deaths1986: 290 deaths1987: 297 deaths1988: 261 deaths1989: 296 deaths1990: 262 deaths1991: 275 deaths1992: 269 deaths1993: 254 deaths1994: 271 deaths1995: 254 deaths1996: 293 deaths1997: 302 deaths1998: 315 deaths1999: 295 deaths2000: 276 deaths2001: 246 deaths2002: 307 deaths2003: 293 deaths2004: 254 deaths2005: 276 deaths2006: 269 deaths2007: 256 deaths2008: 208 deaths2009: 223 deaths2010: 190 deaths2011: 181 deaths2012: 212 deaths2013: 211 deaths2014: 225 deaths2015: 246 deaths2016: 218 deaths2017: 228 deaths2018: 230 deaths2019: 248 deaths2020: 233 deaths2021: 221 deaths2022: 244 deaths2023: 227 deaths2024: 251 deaths
People killed in crashes in Nebraska by year, 1975–2024. Latest point: 2024, 251 deaths.

Rate per 100,000 residents, 2000–2024

09182000200520102015202020242000: 16.12001: 14.32002: 17.82003: 16.92004: 14.52005: 15.72006: 15.22007: 14.42008: 11.62009: 12.32010: 10.42011: 9.82012: 11.42013: 11.32014: 122015: 132016: 11.42017: 11.92018: 11.92019: 12.82020: 11.92021: 11.22022: 12.42023: 11.42024: 12.5
Deaths per 100,000 residents in Nebraska and nationally, 2000–2024. Latest point: 2024, 12.5. this page United States

Year pages: 20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975

Compared with the nation

MeasureNebraskaUnited States
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–202412.111.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 202412.511.5
Deaths, 2015–20242,346389,190
Deaths per fatal crash1.11.1
Change vs previous ten years+4%+7%
Share of the national toll0.6%100%

Factors

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking32.6%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver17.5%
Pedestriansshare of people killed7.8%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed11%
Unrestrainedoccupant deaths with no restraint used63.2%
In darknesscrashes after dark41.4%
Rural roadscrashes on rural roads68.5%

tick marks the US share. Bars are shares of fatal crashes (alcohol, speeding, darkness, rural) or of people killed (pedestrians, motorcyclists, unrestrained occupants) over the ten-year window.

Counties ranked by rate

Deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024. Small counties on through routes can rank high on few deaths; the deaths column gives the scale. Counties with fewer than 10 fatal crashes in the ten years show no factor shares.

#CountyResidentsDeaths 2015–2024Per 100k / yrDeaths 2024AlcoholSpeeding
1Arthur County423490.13——
2Kimball County3,3052571.7514%14%
3Loup County582465.80——
4Blaine County454365.50——
5Sioux County1,099759.71–2——
6Deuel County1,8921159.11–230%10%
7Thomas County634458.04——
8Morrill County4,4852247.31–227%20%
9Banner County665342.81–2——
10Gosper County1,808841.61–2——
11Cherry County5,5582340.71–235%5%
12Keith County8,1483340.51–225%8%
13Hitchcock County2,4601037.21–2——
14Sheridan County4,9271937.11–271%35%
15Thurston County6,6372536.2460%5%
16Antelope County6,3582234.81–211%17%
17Merrick County7,8372734.7425%4%
18Grant County573232.30——
19Cedar County8,2622630.91–214%0%
20Pawnee County2,521830.80——
21York County14,3754330.7727%15%
22Burt County6,7272030.2025%20%
23Seward County17,7694827.6419%11%
24Clay County6,1031727.61–253%20%
25Logan County694227.40——
26Webster County3,326926.10——
27Polk County5,2691324.91–240%0%
28Harlan County3,018824.80——
29Kearney County6,7491624.1327%20%
30Dundy County1,581423.81–2——
31Cass County27,4926223.4338%17%
32Sherman County2,949723.40——
33Box Butte County10,7032523.1338%29%
34Butler County8,4391923.11–241%6%
35Cheyenne County9,6022223.0343%5%
36Johnson County5,2191223.0046%36%
37McPherson County376122.90——
38Hayes County846222.80——
39Rock County1,241322.70——
40Phelps County9,0422022.11–258%0%
41Pierce County7,3341622.11–221%7%
42Thayer County4,8701122.1020%10%
43Fillmore County5,5121221.61–28%0%
44Garden County1,804421.50——
45Nemaha County7,0461521.41–236%7%
46Dawson County24,5545121.3322%17%
47Saunders County23,4064721.3525%25%
48Garfield County1,707421.30——
49Custer County10,4872220.61–223%9%
50Hamilton County9,5641920.4517%6%
51Cuming County8,9521820.11–231%6%
52Colfax County10,8262119.71–237%0%
53Jefferson County7,1361419.61–239%0%
54Frontier County2,536519.31–2——
55Saline County14,7402718.71–236%14%
56Wayne County9,8701818.7329%18%
57Richardson County7,6661417.8025%0%
58Lincoln County33,3196117.7522%29%
59Nance County3,262617.50——
60Dodge County37,8846417.3736%13%
61Otoe County16,5912616.2833%14%
62Chase County3,764615.50——
63Red Willow County10,4091615.0043%21%
64Scotts Bluff County35,7345314.7733%27%
65Madison County35,5795214.7626%20%
66Knox County8,3061214.3358%17%
67Howard County6,572913.90——
68Stanton County5,756813.60——
69Greeley County2,197313.10——
70Gage County21,6872813.01–242%4%
71Dawes County8,0031113.0050%30%
72Keya Paha County819112.60——
73Wheeler County808112.60——
74Buffalo County51,1566012.0924%9%
75Washington County21,2542411.61–213%4%
76Hall County62,8697111.5627%15%
77Dakota County21,3352411.51–226%11%
78Boone County5,354611.31–2——
79Adams County31,1963410.9333%13%
80Boyd County1,700210.80——
81Perkins County2,779310.50——
82Franklin County2,817310.30——
83Brown County2,877310.20——
84Valley County4,03249.70——
85Platte County35,499308.81–241%7%
86Holt County10,12087.90——
87Douglas County601,1584417.76338%25%
88Nuckolls County4,09437.20——
89Dixon County5,52647.11–2——
90Furnas County4,46836.40——
91Lancaster County332,8572036.32434%27%
92Sarpy County204,8281065.6831%20%
93Hooker County69800.00——

Routes with the most fatal crashes

#RouteTypeFatal crashesDeathsAlcoholSpeeding
1Interstate 80Interstate20524721%20%
2US Route 30US highway8810028%8%
3US Route 6US highway788026%17%
4US Route 75US highway688131%6%
5US Route 81US highway678313%8%
6US Route 275US highway546239%22%
7US Route 77US highway526217%10%
8US Route 34US highway465524%15%
9State Route 2State highway394523%18%
10State Route 92State highway313336%16%
11US Route 20US highway303827%10%
12State Route 64State highway283029%29%
13US Route 83US highway273230%11%
14US Route 281US highway242825%17%
15US Route 26US highway243121%13%
16State Route 50State highway212343%5%
17State Route 15State highway202510%0%

Signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024; 17 routes in Nebraska qualify. Local streets and county roads are not listed. Long routes carry more traffic and so more crashes; this is a count, not a rate.

Time of day and day of week

12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

Fatal crashes in Nebraska by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 1,867 crashes with a known hour and weekday.

By weekday

Friday17%
Saturday16%
Sunday15%
Thursday15%
Wednesday13%
Tuesday12%
Monday12%

Light condition

Daylight53%
Dark, not lighted25%
Dark, lighted17%
Dusk3%
Dawn3%
Dark, lighting unknown0%

Road type

Other principal arterial30%
Minor arterial26%
Local17%
Interstate11%
Major collector10%
Other freeways and expressways4%
Minor collector2%

FHWA functional classes (FARS FUNC_SYS), share of fatal crashes with a reported class; tick marks the national share. What the classes mean.

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in Nebraska in 2024?

251 people in 223 fatal crashes, per NHTSA's FARS annual file. Over 2015–2024 the total is 2,346.

How does Nebraska compare with the national rate?

12.1 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 11.8 nationally; in 2024 alone, 12.5 against 11.5.

Which counties in Nebraska have the most fatal crashes?

By deaths over 2015–2024: Douglas County (441), Lancaster County (203) and Sarpy County (106). The county table ranks by rate per 100,000 residents instead, which is a fairer comparison across sizes.

What share of fatal crashes in Nebraska involved alcohol or speeding?

32.6% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had a driver reported as drinking (US: 26.3%) and 17.5% had a speeding-related driver (US: 27.2%).

Which routes in Nebraska have the most fatal crashes?

Interstate 80 (205 fatal crashes, 2015–2024), US Route 30 (88 fatal crashes, 2015–2024) and US Route 6 (78 fatal crashes, 2015–2024). Route pages exist for signed routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in the ten years.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System annual files 1975–2024; US Census Bureau Population Estimates Program. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026. See methodology, sources and corrections.